ICE7224 - Q'Raj Void Protectorate (oef).pdf

(6426 KB) Pobierz
Q’
RAJ
V
OID
P
ROTECTORATE
™
Credits
Author:
Sheldon Greaves
Developed By:
Donald G. Dennis
Special Consultant:
Leland Erickson
Original System Design:
Kevin Barrett
Cover Illustration:
Angus McKie
Interior Illustrations:
Glen Angus, Tim Eldred,
D. Dennis, Jessica Ney-Grimm,
Craig O’Brien, Dan Smith
Ship Display Illustrations:
Dan Cruger,
D. Dennis,
Terry Amthor, K. Barrett
Miniatures Sculptor:
Bob Naismith,
Christopher Lynch, Jim Bell
Managing Art Direction:
Jessica Ney-Grimm
Art Direction:
D. Dennis, Jason O. Hawkins
Editorial Contributions:
Ted Kilsdonk
Series Editor:
Donald Dennis
Pagemaking:
Coleman Charlton, D. Dennis,
Kurt Fischer, Sherry Robinson
Cover Design:
J. Ney-Grimm, D. Dennis
Cover Graphics:
J. Ney-Grimm
Proofreading:
C. O’Brien, C. Charlton
Copyright © 1999 by
Iron Crown Enterprises.
All rights reserved.
No reproductions
without the express
written consent of
Iron Crown Enterprises.
Produced and distributed
by
Iron Crown
Enterprises,
Inc.,
P.O. Box 1605,
Charlottesville, VA 22902.
Phone: (804) 295-4280.
Fax: (804) 977-9687.
Web page:
www.ironcrown.com
ICE Staff:
CEO:
Bruce Neidlinger;
President:
Pete Fenlon;
Managing Editor:
Coleman Charlton;
Sales, Customer Service and Operations:
Steve Hardy, Keike Kubasch, THE Howard Huggins;
Editing, Production, and Development:
John Curtis, Donald G. Dennis, Jason Hawkins,
Jessica Ney-Grimm, Craig O’Brien, Sherry Robinson,
Katrina Smith.
1
Table of Contents
History and Politics
. ....................................... 3
Imperial Politics.
.............................................. 3
Grub War.
.......................................................... 4
The Tide Turns ............................................... 5
Post-War Balancing Act.
.................................. 6
The Dinar War ...............................................
7
Endgame ........................................................ 8
Playtesters:
Castle Archon:
Jim Eisert, Dave Smith,
Tom Higgens, Andrew
Thompson, Adam
Pezzel;
Ottawa Redshirts:
Richard Dufault, Scott
MacGregor, Glen
Simpson, George
MacLure, Michael
Smith, Stuart Nielsen,
Terry Ochitwa, Stuart
Nielsen, Dan Cormier;
The Good, the Bad,
and the Unlucky: Paul
Carrol, Don Jenkins,
Chris Kuhn, Alan Nuss;
House Mythos:
Chris Weber, Stephen
Turner, Chris Parton,
Marvin Knighton,
Oscar Chapa Jr., Mike
Kochis, Bruce Neal,
Jimmy C. Little Jr.;
Twilight Brigade:
Steve Wilcoxon,
Greg Jensen;
Widow Makers:
Paul Long, Joe Peto,
Steve Tucker,
Tony Prokes.
Targets Dujour:
Mike Strack, Jim
Carrol, Ted Kilsdonk,
Julie Lehrman, Dan
Ozdowski, Sean-Mike
Whipkey, John Curtis,
Suzy Curtis, Donald
Dennis, Brian.
Border Patrol Units.
....................................... 33
Gatekeepers .................................................. 33
Melons From Hell ........................................ 34
Special Operations.
........................................ 35
The Assassins ............................................... 35
Privately Maintained Units.
........................... 36
Banner of Faith ............................................ 36
Political Information
. .................................... 9
House Tokugawa ............................................ 9
House Colos ................................................... 9
Kashmere Commonwealth .......................... 10
House Red Star ............................................ 10
Hibernia Freehold ........................................ 11
Yoka-ShanWarworld .................................... 11
ASP Technocracy .......................................... 12
Data Sphere .................................................. 12
Sigurd Archdiocese ...................................... 13
Unkulunkulu Archipelago ........................... 14
Luches Utopia .............................................. 14
The Prometheans ......................................... 15
Q’raj Ship Designs
. ...................................... 37
AA-17 Light Fighter “Jambiya” ................... 37
FS-80 Superiority Fighter “Mujahadeen” .. 37
FS-79 Single-Seat Fighter “Shedu” ............ 38
MM-42 Multi-Role Fighter “Djinn” ............. 38
GBX-12 Heavy Gunboat “Lilith” ................. 39
Q’raj Refit Designs.
........................................ 40
MPAC-17D Minelayer “Epping Qvp” ........... 40
270 Model S/T “Sentry Qvp” ........................ 40
GBX-1 “Nemesis Qvp” .................................. 41
EX-200 Minelayer “Black Widow Qvp” ........ 42
T5d “Talon Qvp” ........................................... 42
Warhounds.
..................................................... 43
EC-10 Escort Carrier “Saladin” ................... 43
740 Model D “Megafortress Qvp” ................ 44
EWP-2f “Fletcher Qvp” ................................ 44
Naval EM-235 “Stingray Qvp” ..................... 45
Naval EM-239 “Stingray Qvp (Minelayer)” . 45
Outposts.
......................................................... 46
“Masada” Type 1 Tactical Comm. Outpost .. 46
“Masada” Type 2 Defensive Outpost ............ 46
“Golan” Defensive Outpost .......................... 47
“Wasp’s Nest” Type 1 Defensive Outpost .... 47
“Wasp’s Nest” Type 2 Defensive Outpost ..... 47
“Wasp’s Nest” Type 3 Defensive Outpost ..... 47
“Shomer Sha’ar” Defensive Satellite ........... 48
“Ba’al Mapteach” Type 1 Def. Satellite ........ 48
“Ba’al Mapteach” Type 2 Def. Satellite ........ 48
“Tachanah” Supply Outpost ......................... 48
Q’raj Military Technology
. .......................... 16
Khanjar ........................................................ 16
Sayf ad-Din ................................................... 16
Evil Eye ........................................................ 16
The Q’raj Warhound Fleet
. ......................... 17
Timeline
. .......................................................... 18
Worlds of the Q’raj
. ...................................... 19
Planets of the
Q’raj Void Protectorate: Catalogue.
............ 21
Q’raj Central Core ........................................ 21
Khadijah, Fatimah, Michal, Bath-Sheba
Kochavi Yisrael ............................................ 22
New Jerusalem, Tzaphon, Ibn-Ezra,
The Sfirot, Mo’ed Shalom
New Palestine Free Triad ............................. 22
Gaza, Hebron, Gabriel
Scenarios
. ........................................................ 49
New optional rule: Multiple Missile locks ... 49
The Terran-Hatchling War (Imp 501).
......... 50
Scenario 1: Evacuation of Tyre .................... 50
Scenario 2: Disrupting the Line .................. 52
Scenario 3: Stand at Ras Shamra ................ 54
Pirate Scenarios.
............................................ 56
Scenario 4: Petrov’s Gamble ........................ 56
Scenario 5: Pirate’s Grief ............................. 58
The Dinar War.
............................................... 59
Scenario 6: Pursuit of Vengeance ................ 60
Scenario 7: Reconnoitering the Core .......... 62
Scenario 8: A Stone in Your Mouth ............. 63
Scenario 9: Clash of the Iron Melons! ......... 65
Scenario 10: No Pay, No Play ....................... 66
Scenario 11: Payback at Ibn-Ezra ............... 68
Prelude to Crisis.
............................................ 70
Scenario 12: Testing the Fence ................... 70
New Canaan Enclave .................................... 23
Biblos, Tyre, Sidon, Ras Shamra, Coridian
Osmanli Republic ......................................... 24
Osman, Gates of Solomon, Ibn-Batuta Cluster
Hijaz Caliphate ............................................. 25
New Mecca, Medina, Hijaz
Quraishi Emirates ........................................ 26
Abu Bakr, Omar, Ali, Medina Secundus
The Q’raj Fighter Service
. .......................... 27
Q’raj Military Philosophy.
............................. 27
The Q’raj Order of Battle.
.............................. 28
3rd Carrier Group.
......................................... 29
Red Seraphim ............................................... 29
Marev’s Misfits .............................................. 30
Yawm al-Din ................................................. 30
Larabi’s Locusts ........................................... 31
Red Corsairs ................................................. 31
Ba’al’s Hammer ............................................ 32
Q’raj Core Home Guard.
............................... 32
Tables
. ............................................................... 72
Q’raj Fleet Composition .............................. 72
Consolidated Master Cannon Table ............. 73
Integrated Escort Weapon Table ................. 74
2
History and Politics
Imperial Politics
So far war has been the only force
that can discipline a whole commu-
nity, and until an equivalent discipline
is organized, I believe that war must
have its way.
– William James (1842-1910)
The Q’raj Void Protectorate began as a
series of colonies established by peoples
from the Middle East regions of Old Earth.
The colonists left to escape overcrowding,
exhausted lands, and even more exhaust-
ing political tensions so old and entrenched
that the participants could no more aban-
don the squabbles than they could recall
the original reasons for them.
As the colonies grew, they began to fall
into old patterns. The Q’raj are fond of bois-
terous, vigorous debate and verbal ex-
change; a common saying has it that where
there are two Q’raj, there are three opin-
ions. Colonists who had come from a par-
ticular ethnic or language group gravitated
to familiar subcultures. More foresighted
leaders tried to create incentives for trade
with other groups, but by the time these
were in place, the early coalitions had al-
ready established themselves. The original
seven coalitions were The Core (later called
the Q’raj Central Core), the Hijaz Caliph-
ate, Kochavi Yisrael, New Canaan Enclave,
Osmanli Republic, Palestine Free Triad, and
the Quraishi Emirates.
The political entity that would become
the Q’raj Void Protectorate began as an
agreement among the states granting spe-
cial privileges to people who left one state
to live in another. These incentives included
lower taxes, exemption from certain tariffs,
and the ability to receive help from more
than one diplomatic office. These immi-
grants or “gers” could hold dual or even
multiple citizenships. Eventually, so many
people sought and obtained ger status that
they outnumbered non-gers. At that point,
the office overseeing multiple citizenships
simply granted ger status to all members
of each of the seven states, making them
effectively a single nation for administra-
tive purposes. This was precisely the out-
come that the originators of the ger pass-
ports had hoped for.
The defense treaty that formed the basis
of the Protectorate was not negotiated un-
til a serious outbreak of pirate raids a few
years later. It was arranged and imple-
mented with remarkably little friction. The
scattered, independent states of Q’raj space
became a confederation for mutual defense;
in other words, a protectorate. However,
each of the member states retains a high
degree of autonomy. The primary functions
of the Central Government are to adminis-
ter citizen records, manage a common cur-
rency and trade laws, maintain diplomatic
relations with other houses, and oversee
the defense of the collective states. The
member states themselves control all other
governmental functions. This makes for a
rich diversity of culture among the Protec-
torate members.
“This is flight leader
Napthali...They’re all
over the place! My
God, we’ve never seen
anything like them
before, but they’re
extremely dangerous...
my people never had a
chance... Local squad-
rons are destroyed or
scattered... Orbital
defenses are gone...
They will probably
begin a direct assault
on the planet within
the hour... We’ve
gathered a few surviv-
ing ships and are
moving to re-engage.
Tell my mother I died
a hero...”
Intercepted
radio traffic from
Biblos local militia
— Imp 501:31.
3
This diversity has enriched rather than
divided the Q’raj, in part because the Void
Protectorate contains no equivalent of
earth’s Jerusalem. Lacking a central place
that was holy to all of the member states,
they found that traditional customs of hos-
pitality and of respect for religions of the
book have kept religious conflicts within
the protectorate to a minimum. There are
no religious wars within the Q’raj, al-
though more traditional citizens of
Kochari Yisrael and of the Hijaz Caliphate
are loudly skeptical about the morale and
trustworthiness of their Baalite peers.
Since the Hatchling Wars these attitudes
have softened considerably, as many within
the Q’raj have seen the coming of the grub
swarms as the beginning of the final era.
This outside evil has encouraged the Q’raj
to celebrate common points within their
cultures, even as they preserve their rich
local traditions.
Prior to the Hatchling War and the fall
of the Imperial Core, the Q’raj had few
major enemies. The ASP Technocracy had
long been distrusted because of their ad-
vanced and sometimes alienating technol-
ogy, even though it provided a huge mar-
ket for Q’raj raw materials. Unfortunately
for merchants on both sides, their govern-
ments’ mutual distrust meant that the
middlemen of the Kashmere Common-
wealth were necessary to facilitate the
trade in raw materials and finished goods.
This distrust has flared into more than just
saber-rattling on several occasions, most
notably concerning the colony world of
Ophelia. Some distance outside Q’raj space
proper, this planet contains a rich store of
mineral wealth. It has changed hands sev-
eral times. The last time the Q’raj held the
planet was due to a quick and remarkably
bloodless campaign waged by General
Mustafa Hassan Faisal, a highly decorated
veteran pirate hunter who had been
charged with winning Ophelia back.
With help from the Draconians, the ASP
managed to wrest Ophelia back from the
Q’raj in AL 11. It remains a possession of
the ASP to this day. Because of the pres-
sure of Colosian and Draconian incursions
elsewhere, Central command has been re-
luctant to commit the resources necessary
to retake and hold Ophelia.
4
This problem has been complicated by
the formation of a political coalition com-
posed of Ophelia refugees, along with their
families, heirs, and other sympathizers,
most of whom have very strong nationalis-
tic feelings. The so-called “Inheritance
Party” agitates continually for the return
of Ophelia. It has used various methods,
including civil disobedience, organized pro-
tests, electioneering, and private diplomacy
made without the sanction of Q’raj Cen-
tral. Some extreme members of the Inher-
itance Party are now calling for the party
to raise its own military forces for the lib-
eration of Ophelia. Most Q’raj citizens—
and many within the Inheritance Party—
consider these extremists to simple-minded
fanatics with no grasp of reality. Still, dis-
quieting rumors have begun to surface.
There are stories of raids on ASP ships go-
ing to and from Ophelia. The raiders are
usually in older, unmarked, refited ships
striking without warning and vanishing
before the ASP ships can respond. Their
raids have caused significant damage to
ASP commerce and the Technocracy has
filed numerous formal protests. The Q’raj
government denies any knowledge of or
involvement in these raids, and condemns
them as an impediment to reaching a
peaceful solution to the problem of Ophelia.
Grub War
Ideas are the great warriors of the
world, and a war that has no idea be-
hind it, is simply a brutality.
–James Garfield (1831-1881)
The peoples who founded the Q’raj Void
Protectorate brought with them a deep re-
spect for the land they lived on. Back on
Old Earth, a homeland was the stuff of cen-
turies-old family lands and ageless cov-
enants. This factor had helped define and
challenge the identity of entire nations in
fundamental ways. Although the colonists
from Earth were attempting to escape the
tensions that grew out of these old tradi-
tions, they became a strong motivation to
defend their relatively new homes when the
Night Brood burst upon the Empire.
The first distress calls came from Biblos,
with other worlds reporting lighter prob-
ing raids. By the time the Q’raj forces ar-
rived, the local defenders had been wiped

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika:

Zgłoś jeśli naruszono regulamin